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Mind-boggling stats for 2017 Week 5

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History in the making, mind-boggling stats for week 5 are here.

10 Photos Total

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Fresh start

When Mitchell Trubisky takes the field on Monday, it will mark 4,299 days since the Bears last started a rookie QB in a game (Kyle Orton on January 1, 2006, also against the Vikings). Only two rookie QBs have faced Mike Zimmer's Vikings, and both earned victories. However, neither Carson Wentz nor Dak Prescott had even 150 passing yards in the game.

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Two of a kind

Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford are quite similar on paper. Both were selected #1 overall in the draft (Newton in 2011, Stafford in 2009), both have exactly 54 victories, both have 3 playoff appearances, and both have a career passer rating in the mid-eighties (Newton 86.1, Stafford 87.1). Furthermore, both have a 3-1 record this season with a completion percentage hovering around 65 (Newton 65, Stafford 64). Fittingly, they have split their two head-to-head meetings.

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No sweat

The Patriots have allowed 128 points this season, the most in team history in the first 4 games of a season. Only one defending Super Bowl champion has allowed more points in its first 4 games: the 1987 Giants, who played their 3rd and 4th games of that season with replacement players during the strike. The defensive coordinator for that Giants squad? Bill Belichick.

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Making it count

There are 356 players in NFL history with at least 500 career pass attempts. Aaron Rodgers & Dak Prescott are the only two with a passer rating over 100.

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The last shall be first

The Rams lead the NFL in scoring offense this season, scoring 35.5 points per game. In 2016, the Rams ranked last in scoring offense at 14.0 points per game. Their 21.5 point increase in PPG would be the largest increase in consecutive seasons by any team since the 1970 merger. The current record holders? The 1999 "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams, whose 15.1 PPG increase from 1998 helped them go on to win Super Bowl XXXIV.

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Respect your elders

At age 40, Tom Brady leads the NFL in passing yards (1,399) and passing touchdowns (10, tied with Aaron Rodgers). He would be the oldest player to ever lead the NFL in either category, breaking his own record as the oldest TD pass leader (38 years old in 2015) and Fran Tarkenton's record as the oldest passing yardage leader (38 in 1978).

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We need better Ben

If the Steelers are to get the offense firing on all cylinders, Ben Roethlisberger is going to need to be better throwing deep passes. Roethlisberger is 4-20 with 0 TD, 1 INT, and a 34.2 passer rating on passes of 20+ air yards this season. In 2016, Roethlisberger had 14 TD and a 113.4 passer rating on passes of 20+ air yards.

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Look who is in 1st place

The NFL's top four quarterbacks in conversion percentage on 3rd and 4th down feature some familiar names: Aaron Rodgers (49.1 percent, 2nd), Tom Brady (47.9 percent, 3rd), Cam Newton (47.5 percent, 4th). Ahead of them all? Carson Wentz, who has converted 54.0 percent of his third and fourth downs this season (via either pass or rush).

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Right on track

The Bills lead the AFC East outright in Week 4-or-later for the first time since Week 7, 2008, when Trent Edwards was the QB (finished 7-9). They are on track to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999, which would snap the NFL's longest drought.

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Beginners luck?

Since Deshaun Watson became the starter in Week 2, the Texans have been averaging 34.3 points per game. Watson is the only rookie in NFL history with 7+ pass TD and multiple rushing TD in his team's first 4 games.